A Little Problem
by ReganX
Summary: Someone has overdone it at the Fountain of Youth. Complete.
1. Default Chapter

A Little Problem  
  
"Adam, we have a big problem!" Even over the comm.-ring Adam could hear the sheer panic in Jesse's voice.  
  
"You know," Adam could barely hear Brennan's feeble joke. "It's not so much a big problem as a very little one"  
  
"Adam, you have to do something! It's terrible!" Even Emma sounded upset.  
  
"For God's sake!" Adam was impatient with worry. "What's happening out there?"  
  
Jesse gulped audibly. "It's Shal."  
  
"Shalimar? What's wrong? Is she hurt?"  
  
"Not exactly."  
  
"Jesse, tell me exactly what happ." Adam's command was interrupted by a shrill, indignant wail. "What the ."  
  
"Like I said," Jesse bent down to pick up the howling blonde infant who had replaced their teammate. "I think we have a problem.  
  
* * *  
  
By the time his team had returned, Adam had pinched himself at least half a dozen times to be sure that he wasn't dreaming, and was on the point of taking a sample of his blood to see whether someone had slipped something into his coffee. His half-hearted prayers that this was all some elaborate practical joke that his team had cooked up were dashed when Jesse, flanked by Brennan and Emma, entered the lab, a small bundle, wrapped in Brennan's leather jacket, in his arms, crying lustily.  
  
"Adam," Jesse handed him the baby. "Allow me to introduce you to Shalimar."  
  
Baby Shalimar's wails had ceased the moment Adam took her. She reached for his nose with short, slightly chubby fingers. "Ad!"  
  
Jesse whistled in amazement. "Wow, she must really like you, she didn't stop crying for us all the way back here!"  
  
"She seems to know you." Emma observed. "Why didn't she recognise us?"  
  
"She didn't know you when she was a baby." Adam told her. "When Shal was a baby I treated her for an immuno-deficiency - the treatment was what caused her mutation."  
  
"And she remembers that?" Brennan was sceptical.  
  
"Shalimar is a feral." Adam explained carefully, bouncing her a little to make her laugh. "Her sense of smell is extraordinary. Cats remember people by their scent - So does Shal." He carefully unwrapped the baby girl, handing the jacket to Jesse, who caught a whiff of the smell and thrust it into Brennan's hands.  
  
Holding his damp, smelly jacket, Brennan realised what had happened and tossed it aside in disgust. "Great, just great!" He fumed. "Of course, it would have to be my jacket she pissed on!" He scowled. "As soon as she's back to normal, Shal's paying for the dry cleaning!"  
  
Little Shalimar, frightened by his angry tone, started to cry again.  
  
Adam cuddled her to him, glaring at the younger man. "Don't you ever raise your voice to her again!" He snapped, rocking a whimpering baby Shalimar. "Ssh, honey, it's alright." Shalimar buried her little face in his shoulder. "Brennan's not mad at you, are you, Brennan?" He frowned pointedly at the elemental.  
  
"No, of course not." Brennan answered quickly. He had never seen Adam so angry and did not want to rile him any further.  
  
Shalimar looked up. "Nan!" She announced.  
  
Adam smiled tenderly. "What, sweetheart?"  
  
Shalimar pointed a chubby finger at Brennan. "Nan!"  
  
"Hey, she's saying my name!" Brennan cried excitedly, before checking his enthusiasm.  
  
"Ooh!" Emma cooed. "Aren't you clever! Can you say Emma? Em-ma."  
  
"Em!" Shalimar clapped her hands in delight at her own cleverness.  
  
"Try mine." Jesse told her, joining in the game. "Say Jesse! Come on, you can do it." He smiled encouragingly.  
  
Shalimar's tiny brow furrowed in a scowl. "Des-see." She said carefully, trying and failing to pronounce the 'J'. "Des-see!"  
  
Adam glowed with pride, smiling indulgently at Emma and Jesse who were crowded around the baby. "Yes, I know we're all impressed." He chided gently. "But I really need to do some scans, or we'll never get grown-up Shal back."  
  
He set the burbling infant down gently on the examination chair and started the scan before she could wriggle away. Shalimar, entranced by the bright light, didn't move until the scan was finished, at which point she held her arms to Adam.  
  
"Up!"  
  
Adam lifted her up and held her in the crook of his arm as he read the preliminary data gathered from the scans. "Okay, Shal is exactly twelve months old and, as far as I can tell, in perfect health."  
  
"Does she still have her powers?" Jesse wanted to know.  
  
"Yes, she is still a feral but her powers are still almost completely undeveloped. If I remember correctly, Shal can still flash her eyes feral and she's faster and more advanced than other babies, but apart from that, nothing unusual." His expression became concerned as he continued to examine the data he had gathered. "She has some kind of pathogen in her system." He frowned. "I've never seen anything like it before - this could take some time." He tightened his grip on the baby, who was gazing at the computer readings as intently as if she understood every word. "We may have her like this for quite some time. You three will have to get in some supplies."  
  
"Baby shopping!" Emma squealed. "Oh, this is going to be such fun!"  
  
Judging from the look Jesse and Brennan exchanged, they did not agree with her assessment.  
  
* * *  
  
The shopping trip took far longer than expected. Emma had spent a good hour weighing the merits of the various cribs, playpens and highchairs and at least another two hours oohing and aahing over every item in the shop she found particularly adorable. The guys trudged helplessly in her wake, weighed down by more clothes, equipment and toys than would have been necessary for a dozen babies.  
  
When they finally returned to Sanctuary, Brennan collapsed on a couch in the rec room, wishing that baby stores had never been invented, while Jesse was put to work assembling the playpen and Emma showed off her purchases, tempting little Shalimar with her new toys.  
  
"Here, Adam, let me take her. I'll give her a bath and get her diapered and dressed."  
  
Adam ignored her outstretched arms, clutching baby Shalimar to his chest. "I'll do it." He insisted, taking a diaper and a little outfit and carrying Shalimar away, leaving Emma puzzled both by his rebuff and by the tension and obsessive protectiveness he could sense coming off him in waves.  
  
* * *  
  
At his own insistence, the crib was placed in Adam's room and the playpen in the lab. Shalimar, bathed and dressed, was guzzling a bottle of milk when Adam carried her into the rec room where the other three were watching a movie. Sitting down on the couch, away from the others, Adam held Shalimar on his lap while she finished off her bottle. As soon as she had drunk her fill, baby Shalimar dropped the bottle and began to wriggle.  
  
"Down!" She demanded, crawling across the room when Adam set her on the floor, never taking his eyes off her. Shalimar came to a halt in front of Brennan, lifting her arms. "Up, Nan!"  
  
Brennan just stared at her, making no move to pick her up. Shalimar's tiny lower lip trembled and she drew breath to yell.  
  
Emma, who was closest, picked her up, projecting soothing images into the baby's mind as she rocked her. Shalimar gave Brennan a reproachful look, frowning her displeasure.  
  
"Adam, maybe you should try to do some work on that pathogen." Emma suggested carefully. "We'll keep an eye on Shal."  
  
Adam nodded absently. "Yes, I'll get started. Hopefully we'll find an antidote." He reached over and took baby Shalimar from Emma's arms, ignoring her hint, and left the room.  
  
"You know, Adam's not going to get much work done if he's bouncing Shal on his knee the whole time." Brennan remarked.  
  
"He doesn't want us near her." Emma was rather hurt.  
  
Brennan rose and stretched. "Whatever, if Adam wants baby detail, he's welcome to it. I'll be in my room if you guys need me." He departed, leaving two bewildered teammates in his wake.  
  
"Okay, this is weird." Jesse announced. "Adam won't let go of Shal, Brennan won't touch her - I don't understand it."  
  
Emma gave a knowing half-smile. "I know what's wrong with Brennan, anyhow - he likes Shal."  
  
"So why is he avoiding her?" Jesse was thoroughly confused.  
  
Emma rolled her eyes. "Men!" She sighed. "He's avoiding her because he likes her." Jesse's face was still blank. "Would you be able to have a relationship with a woman whose diapers you had changed? He's worried that it will be weird between them when Shal gets back to normal. He's also afraid of what'll happen if she doesn't change back. Adam's the one I can't understand. He'd acting like an overprotective father."  
  
"In a way, Adam kind of sees himself as Shal's father." Jesse explained. "Not just her, all of us, but especially Shal, he's known her since she was a kid." He chuckled. "Shal and I were thirteen when I came to live in Sanctuary. She'd been living here for a couple of years by then and Adam was like a mother hen with a single duckling. He barely let her out of his sight before I came, and even after that he was worried every time Shal was gone. You should have seen him the night of her first date - he stayed awake the whole night waiting for her and checked on her every ten minutes after nine o'clock. He terrorized the guy she was going out with, ran a full background check; driver's licence, criminal record, school reports, the works. He'd have implanted a tracking device if Shal had let him. Sometimes I think that he doesn't realise that she's an adult and, now that she's a baby, his protective instincts are on the alert."  
  
"But it's not healthy!" Emma objected. "If worst comes to worst and Shal has to stay as she is, Adam will have to let go of her for the sake of her mental development. If Adam turns her back, he mightn't be able to reconcile the baby with the woman who can take care of herself. In any case, Brennan's right; Adam won't get much work done if he's spending all of his time taking care of Shalimar."  
  
Jesse looked uncomfortable. "Do you think that we should talk to him?"  
  
Emma considered for a moment before shaking her head decisively. "No, he'll just get defensive, tell us we're imagining things. Ugh!" She exhaled in frustration. "I almost wish that it wasn't against my principles to psi- blast some sense into him!"  
  
* * *  
  
Baby Shalimar had been content to sit on Adam's lap for the past hour or so, playing with one of the plush teddies Emma had given her, however, as midnight approached, she began to grow tired and cranky, first whimpering, then wailing at the top of her lungs.  
  
Adam scooped her up in his arms. "Bedtime, huh? Are you sure you don't want to stay up?" He asked, making a face to draw a smile from her. Shalimar frowned reprovingly at him, her expression comically serious. Adam laughed, bouncing her a little. "Alright, you win - bedtime." She rested her little head on his shoulder as he carried her to his room, changing her diaper and dressing her in the pink footie pyjamas Emma had bought before laying her down in her crib. He offered her a bottle, but she wasn't interested, falling asleep almost immediately. Adam could have sworn that he heard her purr. He touched one of her chubby cheeks reverently. "Goodnight, princess." He whispered. "Sweet dreams."  
  
* * *  
  
At around six o'clock in the morning, Emma sensed a wakefulness in baby Shalimar. Slipping into Adam's room, she saw that he was still fast asleep. Shalimar was just stirring and, when she saw Emma, she beamed, displaying her incomplete collection of teeth.  
  
"Em!" Seeing her, Shalimar lifted her plump arms. "Up, Em!"  
  
Casting a quick glance at the still sleeping Adam, Emma picked up her infant teammate and stole out of the room, carrying her down to the kitchen.  
  
"Hung'y!" Shalimar announced as Emma sat her down in her highchair. "B'fast!" Emma suppressed a smile. Her friend was as confident at one year old as she was as an adult.  
  
* * *  
  
About half an hour later, Brennan entered the kitchen and beheld what was perhaps the most bizarre sight he had ever seen in Sanctuary; Emma was edging as close as she could to an over-excited Shalimar, who was eating a bowl of oatmeal, getting more of it on her face, bib and chair - even on the walls - than she was in her mouth. Every time Emma got too close Shal started waving her spoon about like a red flag before a bull, shouting 'No, mine!'.  
  
Jesse, who could barely control his laughter, was filming everything on his camcorder.  
  
Shalimar squealed in excitement when Brennan entered, calling "Nan!" and waving her spoon at him in greeting, sending a large glob of oatmeal sailing across the room to catch him square in the face. Dropping her spoon, she clapped her chubby hands, delighted by the sight.  
  
Jesse turned the camera on the astonished Brennan while Emma darted forward to rescue the spoon.  
  
"Sorry about that." Emma said sheepishly, getting to her feet, keeping the spoon out of reach of baby Shalimar's eager fingers. "She insisted on feeding herself."  
  
Jesse, laughing like a hyena, was capturing every moment of Brennan's humiliation on film. The elemental glared at him and he quickly turned the camera back to Shalimar who smiled angelically and turned the bowl of oatmeal over her head.  
  
"What's with the camera?" Brennan asked, curiosity overcoming irritation.  
  
Jesse grinned evilly. "In a word - blackmail! Shal's going to freak when she sees this!"  
  
"Adam's going to freak when he sees the state of this kitchen." He glanced at the very messy infant singing to herself in the highchair. "And of her." He added. "How'd you get Adam to let go, anyway?"  
  
Emma didn't meet his eye. "Well, uh."  
  
Adam's voice, frantically calling Shalimar's name, interrupted her.  
  
"I, uh, kind of didn't." Emma finished lamely.  
  
The words were barely out of her mouth when a panic-stricken Adam burst into the room.  
  
"Have you guys seen." He let out a deep sigh of relief when he saw Shalimar, lifting her out of her highchair and hugging her, ignoring the fact that she was wearing her breakfast, checking her anxiously. "Thank God!" He visibly relaxed. "I thought.are you alright, sweetheart?"  
  
Shalimar offered him a toothy grin. "Ad!"  
  
Adam settled her more comfortably on his hip before turning to glare at the other three members of his team. "I thought something had happened." He said accusingly. "I need to know if you're taking her anywhere, do you understand?"  
  
"Adam, she's fine!" Emma protested. "I just took her to get some breakfast."  
  
"We'd never let anything happen to Shal, Adam, you know that." Jesse's voice was gently reproachful.  
  
"All I know is that Eckhart or his men could get into my room just as easily as Emma did - for all we know, Eckhart did this to Shalimar to make her vulnerable. I need to know that she's safe at all times." He gave them a slight smile, trying to make up for his harshness. "Right now, I think that Shalimar has an appointment with the bathtub." He tickled her gently; causing her to giggle in delight, then turned and made to carry her out of the room.  
  
"Adam, wait!" Emma called, halting his movements. "Why not leave her with us?" She suggested, keeping her tone as light as possible. "You'd be able to work faster."  
  
Adam looked uncomfortable. "No, I don't mind, that is, I'd rather." He exhaled slowly. "I'd prefer to keep her where I can see her." Not allowing any argument, Adam marched out of the kitchen, Shalimar held securely in his arms.  
  
It was left to Brennan to say what both of his teammates were already thinking. "Are you sure that Adam wants to change Shal back?" 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Mutant X and all its characters belong to someone who isn't me.  
  
Eight days later.  
  
It had taken more that a week, but Adam was finally starting to make something resembling progress. He had been sitting at his desk in his lab for hours, poring over the readings he had taken of Shalimar, as an adult and as an infant, scrutinizing every piece of information on pathogens he could find, and examining the blood sample he had taken - with great difficulty and many tears and screams from Shalimar - the previous week.  
  
Shalimar, who had been playing contentedly in her playpen for the past few hours, was bored. Deprived of her favorite playmate, she had tried various ways of regaining his attention and showing her displeasure, even resorting to screaming at the top of her lungs and throwing her teddy bear at him. Adam had come running with a clean diaper and a fresh bottle of warm milk, fed her, changed her and spent a few minutes playing with her before returning his attention to his work.   
  
Enough was enough. Shalimar decided that it was time to take matters into her own tiny hands.  
  
The makers of the playpen had not factored the abilities of an infant feral into their design. An ordinary baby would have had little alternative but to stay where he or she was, relying on an adult to lift them out. Not so Shalimar Fox. As agile as a monkey, she climbed over the railing, landing with a soft thud on the floor of the lab.  
  
Deeply engrossed in his work, Adam didn't hear anything and, quick as lightning, baby Shalimar crawled across the room and out the door in search of adventure.  
  
* * *  
  
The kitchen was her first stop. She spotted the refrigerator and made a beeline for it. This was where they kept their food. She gurgled, clapping her hands, delighted by her discovery. Opening it was another matter. Shalimar came to a halt, sitting down in front of the refrigerator while she planned her strategy. The adult members of MutantX had not had much time to 'baby proof' Sanctuary and, while all electrical outlets had been fitted with protective coverings and all of the sharp or dangerous objects moved out of reach of little fingers, nobody had gotten around to putting a lock on the refrigerator yet. Dragging herself into a standing position, she could just about reach the handle if she stretched her arm. She pulled with all her strength, falling and landing on her bottom when the door suddenly opened, revealing the treasure within.  
  
Shalimar had thought that she was alone in the kitchen but she was mistaken. Jesse, who had come in for a snack just minutes earlier, was sitting at the table, camcorder trained on her, trying his best to suppress the laughter he felt bubbling within him as he filmed baby Shalimar pull out item after item, discarding, in turn, fruit, cheese, juice, Emma's yogurts, Brennan's sodas and even Jesse's chocolate doughnuts, finally lighting on the item of her choice - a raw steak.   
  
Both fascinated and a little repulsed, Jesse watched Shalimar tear into the plastic wrappings and pull out the steak, chewing on it for a few moments before tiring of it and tossing it aside, leaving it lying on the ground amid the other items she had already dropped or spilled, before crawling away, leaving the refrigerator door wide open and a mess of spilled foods in her wake.  
  
Surveying the mess she had left behind, Jesse whistled softly.  
  
"Christ, Shal!" He said aloud, getting a close-up shot of the damage she had done. "I never thought the day would come when I'd feel so sorry for your parents!"  
  
* * *  
  
Blissfully unaware that Jesse had spotted her and was bitterly regretting ever agreeing to the 'first one to see the mess, cleans the mess' policy that the team had adopted, baby Shalimar continued her quest for entertainment.   
  
Emma was meditating beside the pond, lost in her own thoughts. Shalimar paused for the briefest of instants before deciding that Emma was going to be as boring a playmate as Adam and dismissing the pond as a potential play area and crawled away before the telempath sensed her presence.  
  
The next stop on her tour of Sanctuary was the rec room, where she found her last hope for amusement.  
  
Brennan was sitting on the couch, absorbed in a book. He did not realize that she was there. Baby Shalimar crawled over to the couch and sat down at his feet, patiently waiting for him to notice her presence. After about thirty seconds, she gave up on this technique and tugged Brennan's trouser cuff to get his attention.  
  
Brennan, his attention so rudely dragged from the novel he was reading, looked down to see a cherubic face surrounded by a halo of blonde curls staring up at him. The angelic appearance was tarnished slightly, however, by the tinge of blood around her lips.  
  
"Up, Nan!" Baby Shalimar commanded, holding up her arms.  
  
Brennan quickly looked around the room for rescue. Seeing nobody, he sighed and bent down to pick Shalimar up, gingerly setting her down on the couch next to him and moving a little away from her.  
  
"Isn't Adam supposed to be watching you?" he asked her accusingly, as though she could answer him. "Why aren't you in the lab with him?"  
  
"Pway!" Shalimar demanded, looking up at him with beseeching eyes.  
  
Brennan groaned. "Can't Adam play with you? Or Jesse or Emma? Why don't you go find them - I'm not good with kids!"  
  
Baby Shalimar stuck out her bottom lip, determined not to budge from her position. "Nan pway!" She insisted. She crawled across the couch and climbed into his lap, squirming a bit until she was comfortable. "Pway!" She ordered.  
  
Brennan scowled. "I don't even know what to play!" He complained.  
  
"Howsey!" Shalimar answered, as if she had understood every word he said.   
  
The dark-haired elemental felt his cheeks grow warm as Jesse - with his camcorder, of course - entered the rec room in time to hear the exchange.  
  
"Go on, Brennan." Jesse mocked. "You heard the lady. Play horsey."  
  
Baby Shalimar smiled expectantly. Even Brennan, a self-confessed hater of babies, found it difficult to resist her.  
  
Difficult. Not impossible.  
  
"Wouldn't you rather play with Jesse?" He coaxed. "I'm sure Jesse would love nothing more than to play horsey with you. Right, Jesse?" He shot his friend a desperate look.  
  
Jesse shook his head, zooming in on Brennan, laughing inwardly at the thought of what grown-up Shalimar would say to him when she saw this tape.   
  
"I wouldn't dream of depriving you." He answered solemnly. "Go on, Shal, play horsey with Brennan."  
  
"There is no way I'm going to play horsey with you filming me!"  
  
Baby Shalimar's bottom lip trembled and she drew breath to yell.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Brennan exclaimed hurriedly, bouncing her on his knee to placate her. "There, happy?" Shalimar smiled beatifically. Brennan looked up at his teammate. "Jesse, I am begging you, if you ever had any regard for our friendship, please, call Adam."  
  
Jesse, taking pity on his comrade, nodded, and between fits of laughter, spoke into his comm.-ring.  
  
"Adam, it's Jesse. We have someone you may be looking for."  
  
To his great astonishment, Adam didn't freak out and come charging into the rec room to reclaim Shalimar.  
  
"I've found it, Jesse!" Adam's voice was laced with excitement. "I know what happened to Shalimar!"  
  
TBC.  
  
I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. I'll update again when I get the chance. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.  
  
"The pathogen I found in Shalimar's bloodstream was synthesised from organic materials - that's why it took so long to identify. My guess is that the GSA injected her during your last fight. The pathogen targets the glands that produce the hormones regulating ageing. In theory, it works in a similar fashion to anti-ageing drugs, except, instead of merely halting the process of cell division, it reintegrates divided cells, thereby reversing the body's natural ageing process. I imagine that the GSA were under orders to inject all four of you and carry you back to Genome X, instead, only Shalimar was infected and you three were able to fight them off."  
  
"We didn't notice Shal shrinking." Jesse objected.  
  
"We were kind of busy" Emma reminded him gently.  
  
"The process would probably have been extremely fast." Adam mused aloud. "I doubt if it lasted more than a matter of seconds."  
  
"Why did it stop, Adam?" Emma was curious. "Why did they tailor the pathogen to stop. . ." She paused as she searched for a word to describe the situation. " 'Youthening' when Shal was one?" If they had allowed it to continue, she wouldn't exist. Isn't that what Eckhart would want?"  
  
"I'd say that Eckhart wanted to take all four of you alive." Adam told his team, his voice growing sober at the thought. "Think about it - four mutants with your abilities, raised and trained from infancy to be loyal to Eckhart and Genome X. you were far more valuable to him as live babies than if you didn't exist."  
  
"Adam, all this speculation is fascinating, really it is." Brennan, who was still holding a squirming Shalimar, interrupted the older man impatiently. "But why don't you just synthesise an ageing pathogen to change Shal back?"  
  
Baby Shalimar grabbed a fistful of Brennan's hair and pulled it with all her strength, ignoring his pained yelps.  
  
Emma, giving in to her teammate's pleading look, took Shalimar from him, bouncing her gently on her hip as Adam answered.  
  
"I could synthesise an aging pathogen. . ." Adam began.  
  
"Then why don't you?" Brennan cut him off impatiently, rubbing his aching scalp.  
  
"Because over-stimulating Shalimar's aging process could cause her to die of old age in less than a minute." Adam snapped.  
  
Baby Shalimar burst into tears.  
  
"I think that she heard you." Jesse quipped, as Emma rocked and soothed the tiny feral.  
  
Adam reached out to take Shalimar, who snuggled into his arms, still crying softly.  
  
"I can't risk trying a cure until I'm absolutely certain that that won't happen." Adam continued, modulating his tone so as not to frighten the baby. "It could take a long time to perfect an antidote - at Shalimar's present age, her glands are still not fully developed, the slightest miscalculation could result in over-stimulation." He sighed, tickling Shalimar under the chin to make her smile. "it looks like we have our work cut out for us, doesn't it?" He spoke in a singsong, slightly babyish voice. Baby Shalimar giggled obligingly. Shifting her into a more comfortable position, Adam returned his attention to his three remaining teammates. "I'll get back to work on the cure. I'll contact you if I make any progress, okay."  
  
"No." Emma spoke firmly, ignoring the obvious dismissal in Adam's tone. "I'm sorry, Adam, but you can't work and take care of Shalimar at the same time. You can't take your eyes off a baby for a second."  
  
Adam bristled in indignation. "Are you saying that I cannot care for Shalimar properly?" He sounded both angry and hurt.  
  
"I'm saying that you can't keep a constant watch on Shalimar if part of your attention is focused on your work." Emma told him patiently.  
  
"She's already crawled off once, Adam." Jesse pointed out. "What, are you going to tie her to your desk?" Jesse knew that Adam would not be capable of doing that to any child, let alone Shalimar. "Because, short of binding and gagging her, there is no way that you can stop her getting into mischief."  
  
As if to illustrate his point, Shalimar wriggled in Adam's arms, reaching for the computer monitor.  
  
"See what I mean." Jesse indicated the baby.  
  
"Adam, I know that you want to take care of Shalimar. I know that you want to protect her, but what if, when your attention is distracted for even a moment, she hurts herself? Or if you're distracted and make a mistake with the antidote?" Gently, but firmly, Emma took baby Shalimar from Adam's arms. "We'll take good care of her, Adam, I promise."  
  
"Ad!" Shalimar protested as Emma lifted her into her arms. "Wan' Ad!"  
  
"Adam's busy sweetheart." Emma told her soothingly. "I'll call you if she needs anything." She reassured Adam. "She'll be fine, I promise."  
  
Adam nodded reluctantly, allowing Emma to carry baby Shalimar away. "Take good care of her." He beseeched, his voice cracking slightly as his teammates left the lab.  
  
* * *  
  
"So, how do we do this?" Emma asked, setting Shalimar down on the floor of the rec room, following her movements with an eagle eye. "Should we all watch her or should we take shifts?"  
  
"I'll take first watch!" Jesse volunteered eagerly.  
  
"You're welcome to it." Brennan grouched. "She practically ripped my hair out!"  
  
"That just means that she likes you!" Emma protested.  
  
"Whatever, I just want Shal back the way she was."  
  
Shalimar smiled up at the three adult members of MutantX, holding up her plump arms to be lifted. Jesse scooped her into his arms, pulling silly faces.  
  
"What do you think, Shal, do you want to play with Jesse for a while?" He asked playfully.  
  
"Des-see pway!"  
  
"I'll take that as a 'yes'."  
  
Emma grinned. "I'll leave you guys to it. I'll be by the pond if you need me." Planting a kiss on the top of Shalimar's little head, she left the room.  
  
Brennan regarded his comrade with curious eyes. "Why are you so keen to babysit?" he asked, confused. "are you that keen to change diapers and clean up puke?"  
  
From the safety of Jesse's arms, baby Shalimar growled at him, her eyes flashing feral yellow.  
  
"I don't think that Shal appreciated that comment." Jesse reproved his friend gently.  
  
"She's a baby, Jess!" Brennan scoffed. "I doubt that she can understand a word of what we're saying!"  
  
Baby Shalimar hissed at him.  
  
Jesse chuckled. "I think that she understands a lot more than you give her credit for."  
  
"Shit!" Brennan exploded.  
  
"Sit!" Shalimar promptly repeated the expletive, making Jesse choke on his laughter.  
  
"Am I the only one weirded out by this situation? One of our best friends is a year old anmd you, Adam and Emma are acting like she's just a normal baby! Do you guys even want Shalimar back as an adult? Or do you like her better as a baby?"  
  
"Hey man, what is your problem?" Jesse was getting angry. "you're acting like you hate her! She's still Shalimar, whatever her age!"  
  
"No, she's not!" Brennan snapped, glaring at the baby in Jesse's arms, who scowled back at him. "the Shalimar Fox I love does not wear diapers!"  
  
The irate elemental stormed out of the rec room, leaving a bewildered molecular in his wake.  
  
"Christ, Shal!" Jesse looked down at the infant in his arms. "Did he just say 'love'?"  
  
TBC.  
  
Author's Note: I know next to nothing about biology, so my pathogen theory is probably complete and utter bullshit. Thanks again to all reviewers. I'll update again as soon as I get something written. 


	4. Chapter 4

A Little Problem - Chapter 4.  
  
Disclaimer: Mutant X and its characters don't belong to me - but it would be cool if they did.  
  
*  
  
Feeding a baby was, as Jesse soon discovered, the messiest activity known to man. Emma had stocked up on baby foods but puréed carrots and mashed peas both failed to tempt baby Shalimar's appetite and provided her with lethal missiles. Within minutes there was more food on herself and her clothes, on Jesse's face and in his hair - not to mention all over the kitchen - than there was in her mouth.  
  
Jesse sighed in defeat. "Shal, if you tell anyone that I did this, I will wring your neck. Understand?" he took a deep breath, filling a spoon with food and steeling himself for what he had to do. "Here comes the aeroplane!"  
  
Shalimar obediently opened her mouth as Jesse moved the spoon through the air, making appropriate sound effects.  
  
Seizing the opportunity, Jesse put the spoon in her mouth, holding his breath as she took the food. "Good girl!"  
  
Seconds later, the mouthful was spat out into his eyes. Shalimar clapped her hands, gurgling in delight as Jesse wiped his face.  
  
Jesse said a silent prayer of thanksgiving that he had thought to turn off the camcorder. This had to be the most humiliating experience of his life.  
  
* * *  
  
A very dishevelled Jesse, who ran up to the pond with a messy infant in his arms, interrupted Emma's peaceful meditation.  
  
"Emma, please, you have to help me!"  
  
"What is it, Jesse?"  
  
"I need you to clean her up. Please, Emma."  
  
Emma laughed. "I thought you said you could handle the first watch."  
  
"I didn't count on lunchtime. I don't know how Adam was able to manage it. She really does not like baby food! Besides," he continued persuasively. "I think Shalimar - grown up Shalimar - would prefer if you were the one to give her her bath."  
  
Knowing that this was probably true, Emma nodded her agreement, taking baby Shalimar, who was caked in the remains of her lunch, from him. "I'll give her a bath and get her back to you."  
  
Jesse nodded, studying Shalimar. "You know, she's probably just bored. Things have been pretty quiet around here. No GSA troubles or anything. Maybe I should take her to the park or something."  
  
"The park?"  
  
"Yeah, I think she'd like it." Baby Shalimar beamed at him. "See?"  
  
"And of course, there is no chance that you are in any way motivated by your desire to use Shal to help you meet women." Emma said innocently.  
  
"Of course not!" Seeing Emma's sceptical look, Jesse raised his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, I want to pick up girls. But I really think that she'll enjoy herself."  
  
Emma smiled. "Okay, I'll have her ready in about half an hour. Be careful."  
  
"You know I will."  
  
* * *  
  
Two hours later.  
  
"Half an hour, huh?" Jesse could barely suppress his laughter as a very damp and bedraggled Emma returned, carrying a spotless Shalimar dressed in a pale blue frilly sundress. "Which one of you took the bath, Em?"  
  
"Very funny!" Emma threw him a dirty look. "It turns out that Shalimar does not take kindly to water!"  
  
"Cut her some slack, Emma. She is part feline after all." Jesse tried to defend Shalimar who, now that she was bathed and tidy, looked like the picture of innocence.  
  
Emma deposited the deceptively angelic looking infant in Jesse's arms. She's all yours! I don't know how something so small and so sweet can create as much havoc as she does! The bathroom looks like it was flooded and she knocked the whole bottle of bubble bath into the tub while I was running the water so the whole place looks like a cloud and, for the sake of your own health and safety - " She showed him her arm, which now bore a long scratch. "Never, ever get shampoo in her eyes!"  
  
"I don't get it." Jesse's brow furrowed in bewilderment. "She was so good for Adam! He took care of her for days and I don't think he had any of these problems. She didn't cause him any trouble! Do you think that Shal secretly hates us?"  
  
Catching sight of the hurt expression on his face, baby Shalimar snuggled into Jesse's arms, planting a wet kiss on his cheek.  
  
"No cwy, Des-see."  
  
Emma's expression softened. "I don't think that she hates you, Jesse."  
  
Jesse grinned, bouncing Shalimar in his arms. "What do you say, rugrat?" he asked her mock-seriously. "Do you want to go to the park?"  
  
"Ess." Shalimar answered just as solemnly.  
  
Jesse regarded her with pride. "Our Shal is amazing, isn't she, Emma? She talks a lot more than I would expect her to at her age, she's got a pretty full vocabulary for a one year old and I would swear to it that she understands more of what we're saying than we think she does."  
  
"Adam said htat Shalimar was very advanced for her age when she was a baby." Emma concurred. "Unfortunately for us she also seems to have been adept at getting into mischief." She added sternly.  
  
Baby Shalimar pouted, plumping her lower lip.  
  
Emma couldn't resist her. "Oh, I can't stay mad at you!" She kissed the top of Shalimar's head. "You be good for Jesse."  
  
"Ess."  
  
Emma laughed. "Have you told Adam where you two are going?"  
  
Jesse avoided meeting her eyes. "Er, no. I'll tell him when we get back. Come on, Shal, let's get out of here."  
  
Emma smiled to herself as they left. With any luck, they would be back before Adam checked in on Shalimar and realized that they had gone.  
  
"Adam will freak out if he finds out about this!" She whispered to herself. "But I guess what he doesn't know can't hurt him."  
  
* * *  
  
The afternoon sun was shining brightly when Jesse pulled up outside the city park in the Audi. Opening the back door, he lifted Shalimar out of her car seat and sat down on the nearest park bench to apply some sun block.  
  
"Adam will kill me if I let you get sunburnt." He told a wriggling Shalimar, who objected loudly to the application of the sun block. "There now." He wiped his hands on a tissue. "All done." He tucked Shalimar into the crook of his arm. "Come on, I think there's a playground around here somewhere."  
  
Baby Shalimar burbled her approval.  
  
* * *  
  
"Whoa, jackpot!" Jesse murmured, looking around him.  
  
The toddlers' playground was situated in the centre of a picnic area. Swings, seesaws, jungle gyms and even a little carousel were dotted around the woodchip floored play area. Several other babies and small children were already playing under the supervision of their mothers, watched by the small clusters of onlookers sitting at the picnic tables.  
  
Shalimar clapped her hands and giggled, pointing insistently in the direction of the swings.  
  
"Pway!" she commanded, almost wriggling out of his arms in her eagerness.  
  
"Alright, alright!" Jesse laughed as he sat her in the swing and pushed her back and forth.  
  
"She's so cute!"  
  
Jesse looked up to see an attractive young woman with long dark hair smiling down at him.  
  
"Is she yours?"  
  
"Des-see!" Baby Shalimar complained when the swinging stopped.  
  
"Sorry, Shal." Jesse went back to pushing the swing. He smiled up at the woman. "She's not my daughter, she's, uh, my friend's baby."  
  
"And you're taking care of her for your friend? That's so nice of you! You must really like kids. Most guys wouldn't babysit if you paid them."  
  
"Yeah." Jesse tried to look modest. "I do what I can."  
  
"I'm Melissa." She held out her hand.  
  
"Jesse." He shook her hand.  
  
"And this is . . .?"  
  
"This is Shalimar. Say 'hi' to Melissa, Shal."  
  
"No!" Baby Shalimar glared at the woman.  
  
"Come on, Shal, please, be nice, for me!" Jesse pleaded, lowering his voice so that Melissa, who was looking affronted, couldn't hear him.  
  
"I don't think she likes me." Melissa turned to leave.  
  
"No, no, she does. Don't you, Shal?"  
  
"No!" Shalimar blew raspberries. "Yucky!"  
  
"Shalimar, please, I am begging you, be nice!" Jesse whispered, trying to persuade her.  
  
"Look, I'd better go." Melissa said angrily as she turned and walked away. Jesse could have sworn that he heard her say "Little brat." as she left.  
  
Jesse sighed, returning his attention to pushing the swing containing a now beaming Shalimar. "It's alright, Shal, she probably wasn't my type anyway." He sighed, looking at the fast retreating form of Melissa. "Just wait. As soon as you're back to normal, I'm going to get you for this!"  
  
TBC.  
  
That'll be all from me until my next update. I hope you like it. 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: If only 'Mutant X' was mine.  
  
After almost an hour in the playground, a miracle occurred - Shalimar started to get tired. Lifting her out of the swing, smiling tenderly as she yawned and rested her head on his shoulder, Jesse turned to leave.  
  
"Alright, Shal, you're tired. I think that you need a nap. Let's get you home." He rubbed her back gently before looking around the car park and, seeing that they were alone, lifting his comm.-ring to his mouth. "Emma, are you there?"  
  
"Yes, Jesse, I can hear you loud and clear. What's up?" Emma's voice chirruped over the comlink.  
  
"Has our absence been noted by our esteemed leader yet?"  
  
Emma giggled. "No, Adam hasn't come out of the lab since you two left. He'll probably be out in a little while for dinner, though, so you'd better hurry back."  
  
"We're on our way, we'll be home before you know it."  
  
"Actually, Mr Kilmartin," A cool, crisp voice almost completely devoid of emotion cut across Jesse's. The molecular looked up and saw that at least half a dozen men in dark suits were closing in on him. "I'm afraid that there has been a slight change of plan. You and your little companion aren't going anywhere."  
  
* * *  
  
"Jesse? Jesse? Answer me!" Emma called frantically. There was no answer. "Adam! Brennan! Jesse and Shalimar are in trouble!"  
  
* * *  
  
"There's no need for violence, Mr Kilmartin. Just hand over little Miss Fox and you can be on your way."  
  
Jesse tightened his grip on Shalimar, who whimpered in fright. "if you think I'm going to let you near her, you guys are crazier than I thought. Now, if you back off, you won't be hurt."  
  
"I'm afraid that we can't do that." The lead GSA agent told him, giving him a smile without any trace of emotion. "Mr Eckhart gave us specific orders. The infant is to be brought back to GenomeX. You have my word - she won't be harmed."  
  
"Bad mens, Des-see!" Baby Shalimar clung to Jesse, letting out a soft hiss as the agents advanced, guns drawn.  
  
"It's alright." Jesse tried to reassure the obviously terrified infant. "I won't let them take you."  
  
"Now, now, Mr Kilmartin." The agent reproved him. "Don't make promises you can't keep. Go!" he snapped at the other agents. "Take the infant!"  
  
Jesse massed as the first two agents ran forward, sending them flying across the parking lot to land with a thump on the hood of the car of some unfortunate soul.  
  
"Two down." He murmured. "Four to go."  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't believe that Jesse took Shalimar outside of Sanctuary without telling me!" Adam growled, willing the Double Helix to fly faster. "How could he be so irresponsible?"  
  
"Adam!" Emma was shocked at the older man's anger. "Jesse couldn't possibly have known that the GSA would be at the park. He was just taking Shalimar out for a little while."  
  
"Without consulting me!" Adam growled. "I thought that I could trust you three with her! You should have told me that they were going!"  
  
"Okay, guys." Brennan interrupted them from the pilot seat. "We're here. I'm taking us down."  
  
* * *  
  
He was surrounded. More GSA agents kept coming. There were at least ten of them now. Baby Shalimar was wailing in fright. With her tucked under one arm, Jesse's fighting abilities were severely hampered. It was only a matter of time before he was beaten.  
  
"Give up, Mr Kilmartin." The lead GSA agent sneered at him. "Hand over Miss Fox and you can leave in peace. We have no interest in you." He added dismissively. "if you continue in your attempts to fight, she will undoubtedly be hurt, you don't want that. Give her to us."  
  
"No! Bad mens!" Shalimar growled at him, her eyes flashing golden yellow.  
  
"You got that right!" Brennan raced up to stand next to Jesse, Adam and Emma following close on his heels. The elemental dispatched three of the agents with a well-placed electrical blast. "Now, you guys might want to run while you still have the chance."  
  
The agents stood their ground, brandishing their guns and tazers.  
  
Jesse shook his head ruefully, exchanging a glance with Brennan. "These guys never learn, do they?"  
  
One especially brave - and stupid - agent dashed forward, managing to wrest Shalimar from Jesse's arms.  
  
Howling in terror, baby Shalimar sank her teeth into the agent's arm.  
  
"F***ing little bitch!" Letting loose a stream of expletives, the agent dropped Shalimar like a hot coal, leaving her to fall to the ground with a heavy thud.  
  
Terrified and in pain, baby Shalimar screamed louder than ever.  
  
After sending the agent who had dropped her flying across the parking lot with a well placed punch, Adam swept Shalimar into his arms and concentrated all his energies on protecting and soothing her.  
  
"Adam, get Shal to the Helix!" Emma ordered him. "I'm going to give these guys a little taste of their own medicine!"  
  
Concentrating as hard as she could, emma hit any GSA agents that the guys had left conscious with a psionic blast.  
  
Within second, the burly, intimidating men were crawling around the parking lot, crying either for their 'baba' or their 'Mommy'.  
  
Emma smiled, entirely satisfied with her handiwork. "That'll teach them not to attack babies!" she commented. "It's just too bad that it will wear off in a few minutes."  
  
"Come on!" Brennan tugged impatiently at her arm. "Let's get going before those guys recover!"  
  
Running after Adam and Shalimar, the three mutants boarded the Double Helix, with Brennan making a beeline for the pilot's seat and taking off.  
  
Adam was sitting in one of the chairs, trying to examine a hysterical baby Shalimar, who clung to him, whimpering in pain as he sprayed some antiseptic on her arms, which had been scraped quite badly when the GSA agent had dropped her.  
  
"There, there, sweetheart." Adam murmured comfortingly, frowning in concern as he gently checked the rapidly swelling bump on her head. He kissed both of her small, grazed palms in turn. "Adam will make it all better."  
  
Jesse sat down in the chair next to him, watching Adam as he passed his hand back and forth in front of Shalimar's eyes, monitoring her reaction closely.  
  
"Is she alright?" Jesse asked, worried about his friend.  
  
"A few cuts and bruises, perhaps a mild concussion, but I don't think that there was any serious damage. Shalimar is going to be fine." He looked up at Jesse with a poisonous glare. "No thanks to you!"  
  
Jesse was stunned. "Wait, Adam, listen. . ."  
  
"No, you listen!" Adam almost spat the words at the younger man. "You had absolutely no right to take her out of Sanctuary without consulting me! It was reckless and it was stupid! Yes, stupid." Adam continued, ignoring Jesse's indignant expression. "You knew that the GSA were probably responsible for exposing Shalimar to the pathogen and it doesn't take a genius to realise that they would probably be monitoring places where people are likely to bring babies. You were irresponsible and you are lucky that neither Shalimar nor yourself were seriously injured or even killed!" Adam tightened his protective grasp on baby Shalimar.  
  
"Adam, look, I'm sorry. . ." Jesse tried to make his peace with the older man.  
  
"Sorry!" Adam bellowed. Shalimar whimpered. She had never heard him raise his voice before. "You nearly get Shalimar killed and you tell me that you are 'sorry'! I was so sure that I would be able to trust you, of all people, with her. It seems that I was wrong."  
  
"Adam. . ."  
  
"Be quiet!" Adam snapped. "I don't want to hear your excuses! And I will never allow you to take care of Shalimar again! I obviously can't trust you with her."  
  
TBC.  
  
Is Adam out of line or is Jesse an idiot? Thanks again to those who reviewed. I'll update again soon. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine, blah, blah, blah.  
  
Three days later.  
  
True to his word, Adam refused to allow Jesse to play any part in the care of Shalimar. He would not even allow the younger man to be left alone with her. Baby Shalimar had been supplied with a little bracelet, which functioned in a similar fashion to her older teammates' com-rings, allowing Adam to monitor her movements. Unless he, Brennan or Emma were within a short distance of Shalimar, or if Shalimar left Sanctuary, an alarm sounded from Adam's ring. If, for whatever reason, Brennan and Emma had to leave, Adam would swoop down to carry Shalimar off with him, completely ignoring Jesse's presence.  
  
Emma had tried to convince Adam that such precautions were completely unnecessary, that Jesse would never let anyone hurt Shalimar again, but as Adam was still furious with her for not telling him that Jesse had taken Shalimar out, her arguments failed to sway him.  
  
Jesse, while he understood Adam's initial anger, was both bewildered and hurt by his mentor's continued mistrust. He played with baby Shalimar whenever Brennan or Emma were there and continued to record her activities on camera. If Adam happened to walk in to see the molecular holding Shalimar, he would always take her from him, as though Jesse's touch was going to hurt or contaminate her. Only his respect for the leader of Mutant X and his own sense of guilt prevented Jesse from punching Adam, as he was sorely tempted to.  
  
Brennan didn't like to admit it, but he had been almost out of his mind with panic when the GSA agent had snatched Shalimar out of Jesse's arms. He didn't know what he would have done if anything had happened to her. With Jesse forbidden to go near her and Adam immersed in his work during the day, the bulk of the babysitting fell on his and Emma's shoulders. He still was not comfortable around his little teammate and poor Emma ended up on what the team had dubbed 'baby detail' most of the time that Adam was working. He felt guilty for shirking his share of the responsibility, but his attraction to Shalimar meant that interacting with her infant self was a decidedly unnerving experience. He spent a lot of time sparring with Jesse on the dojo, trying to take the other man's mind off his problems with Adam, but he rarely succeeded in cheering Jesse up.  
  
As for the person at the centre of the affair, baby Shalimar was finding the constant supervision a great source of irritation. Apart from her naps, there was always someone else within a few feet of her, keeping a sharp eye on her activities and thwarting her attempts at getting into mischief when they had barely begun. She could also sense the tension in the Sanctuary atmosphere. Their conflicts both puzzled and frightened her and she could sense that she was the cause. Adam had treated her injuries as soon as they returned to Sanctuary, so there were no physical reminders of their encounter with the GSA but it was far from forgotten. As always, it was left to Shalimar to take matters into her own hands and solve the problem.  
  
* * *  
  
Shalimar was unusually quiet and well behaved when Emma was feeding her her lunch.  
  
Brennan and Jesse were sparring on the dojo and the sound of their battle occupied baby Shalimar's attention. She listened intently, straining to try to catch a glimpse of them, opening her mouth whenever Emma asked her to. Pleasantly surprised by such good behaviour, Emma was too naïve to realise that Shalimar was merely luring her into a false sense of security.  
  
After clearing away Shalimar's plate and cutlery and wiping away the splotches of shepherd's pie from her face, Emma lifted the miniature feral from her highchair and settled her on her hip.  
  
"Down!" Shalimar demanded, starting to wriggle in Emma's arms. "Down, Em!"  
  
Emma, smiling, gently set Shalimar down on the ground.  
  
Baby Shalimar took off.  
  
* * *  
  
For a one year old, Shalimar was fast. Crawling rapidly out of the kitchen, she made her way over to the steps leading to the dojo, Emma chasing after her.  
  
"Shal! No!" Emma's horrified exclamation dragged the guys' attention from their mock fight. Baby Shalimar was making her way steadily up the dojo steps, climbing as fast as she could to escape Emma.  
  
The steps were steep, without any kind of railing or support. Emma and the guys held their breath, willing Shalimar not to fall, afraid to approach her for fear of making her panic and fall.  
  
When she reached the dojo, the three older mutants each let out a breath they hadn't known they'd been holding.  
  
The tiny cause of their panic beamed up at them as soon as she sat down on the floor of the dojo. "Hiya!"  
  
"Hiya?" Emma scooped baby Shalimar up. "Hiya? You scare us half to death and all you can say is 'hiya'?" She scolded gently. "Were you trying to give us heart attacks?"  
  
"Ess."  
  
Shalimar gave Emma and the guys an indignant, reproachful look when the three of them burst out laughing at her solemn answer.  
  
"Why did you run off, Shal?" Emma bounced Shalimar in her arms as she asked the question, not expecting a response.  
  
"Des-see." Baby Shalimar pointed at Jesse and Brennan. "Wan' Des-see an' Nan."  
  
Brennan felt a brief pang of regret that she had mentioned Jesse's name first.  
  
"Des-see - I mean Jesse," Emma quickly corrected herself. Baby talk was catching. "And Brennan are busy now, Shal. They'll play with you later. Do you want to come with me to the rec room and play with your toys?"  
  
"No!" Shalimar growled, flashing her eyes feral in preparation for a full temper tantrum if she was thwarted. "Wan' Des-see an' Nan!"  
  
Even as an infant, Shalimar Fox could still beat any challenger in a battle of wills.  
  
"Emma sighed in defeat. "All right, Shal, we'll stay here, but Brennan and Jesse want to practice. You'll have to sit quietly, okay?"  
  
"Ess."  
  
Moving as close to the edge as she dared, Emma sat down with Shalimar in her lap, throwing the guys an apologetic glance. "Sorry about this."  
  
"Not a problem." Jesse reassured her.  
  
"Can we get back to sparring?" Brennan asked impatiently, uncomfortably conscious of Shalimar's eyes tracking his movements.  
  
Settling herself comfortably in Emma's lap, baby Shalimar clapped her hands in anticipation as Brennan and Jesse faced off.  
  
"Is it just me?" Brennan asked his teammate through gritted teeth. "Or do you feel like we're part of a circus show?"  
  
* * *  
  
It was after eight o'clock when Adam finally called an end to his day's work.  
  
His team were watching a movie in the rec room - at least, Emma was watching a movie. Brennan was sitting on the floor opposite Shalimar, trying to persuade her to stop chewing on his book of poetry. Shalimar was stubbornly resisting his pleas and Jesse was filming the whole thing, trying not to laugh at the anguished look on Brennan's face as he tried to decide which was the better course of action; let Shalimar destroy the book or get into a scrap with a baby, while the whole thing was caught on camera.  
  
He was spared the task of making such an agonizing decision when Adam entered, saw what Shalimar was up to and gently took the book out of her mouth.  
  
"That's dirty, sweetheart, don't eat it." Adam reprimanded her gently, handing Brennan the drool-covered book.  
  
"My book isn't dirty!" Brennan exclaimed indignantly. "At least, it wasn't." He amended; looking at the state Shalimar had left the book in.  
  
Adam lifted Shalimar up off the floor and carried her over to the couch. He sat down and settled her in his lap. "Did you have fun today, darling?" Adam asked tenderly. "Were you a good girl for Emma and Brennan?"  
  
"Ess."  
  
Emma, Jesse and Brennan all choked on suppressed laughs.  
  
Baby Shalimar frowned reprovingly at them, then yawned.  
  
"Oh, you're tired, sweetheart." Adam exclaimed. "I'll put her to bed." He told the other three, standing up.  
  
"No!" Shalimar had other ideas.  
  
"What's wrong?" Adam tried to stop her escaping his arms, bewildered. Shalimar had never made a fuss when he was putting her to bed before.  
  
"Wan' Des-see!" Shalimar insisted, struggling to go to Jesse.  
  
"Jesse's busy." Adam lied through his teeth. "I'll put you to bed."  
  
"No! Des-see!" Shalimar was on the verge of a screaming fit if she didn't get her way.  
  
Torn between his anger at Jesse and his inability to deny Shalimar anything she wanted, Adam eventually admitted defeat and handed her to the younger man, who carried her off for her bath without a backward glance.  
  
* * *  
  
Once she was bathed, dressed in footie pyjamas - primrose yellow this time - and supplied with a bottle of warm milk, Shalimar settled down in her crib without and fuss.  
  
By the time Adam arrived to check on her, she was fast asleep, clinging tightly to Jesse's hand.  
  
"Was she any trouble?" Adam asked, sotto voice.  
  
"No." Jesse whispered. "She was an angel."  
  
Adam smiled, gently stroking Shalimar's silky curls. "She is, isn't she?"  
  
Jesse looked up at the man, who, since his early teens, had cared for him like a father. "Adam, I'm sorry I took her off without telling you. I didn't think. It was stupid of me."  
  
"Yes." Adam did not bend. "Yes it was." Jesse gave him a 'Come on' look. "But I was wrong to treat you the way I did. I'm sorry."  
  
"I understand why you were angry - you and Shal have always been very close, seeing her like this, so small and so helpless, must be hard for you."  
  
"It is. I can't stop thinking about what will happen if I can't work out a cure. Will she have to live her whole life all over again?"  
  
"Don't think like that, Adam." Jesse counselled. "In all the years I've known you, you have never once given up. You'll figure this out. We'll have our Shal back in no time."  
  
"Thanks." Adam smiled. He looked down at the slumbering infant. "She's fast asleep. Shall we return to the rec room before Brennan and Emma give us up for dead?"  
  
"Yeah." Jesse nodded.  
  
Before following the younger man out of the room, Adam bent over the crib to kiss baby Shalimar's sleep-flushed cheek.  
  
He could have sworn that she gave him a small, satisfied smile before rolling over, as if pleased with herself for successfully restoring peace to Sanctuary.  
  
TBC.  
  
Author's Note: I couldn't leave poor Jesse in the doghouse any longer. I felt sorry for him. Thanks for the reviews.  
Hopefully, I'll be able to update again in a couple of days. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Mutant X and it's characters do not belong to me, but they're on my Christmas list so *crosses fingers* here's hoping.  
  
Author's Note: I'm so sorry that it has taken so long for me to update, I've been busy with schoolwork.  
  
Words in / / = thoughts.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Two days later.  
  
/The calm before the storm./ Brennan reflected, watching the infant sitting next to him. /This can't last. She's being too good. She's plotting something./  
  
The elemental's suspicions were not unjustified. The day before, Shalimar had been very quiet, lulling her guardians into a false sense of security, leading to foolishly look away. A few minutes later they had found her tracking bracelet on the floor where she had dropped it but it's owner was long gone.  
  
A frantic search had lead to baby Shalimar being found sitting in the pond, splashing happily and singing to herself.  
  
Adam had nearly had a heart attack.  
  
Emma had fished out the dripping wet infant, who looked very pleased with herself and highly amused by the trouble she had caused, and carried her off to dry her.  
  
Adam had spent a good half an hour berating himself for not thinking of baby-proofing the pond and had immediately placed a force field around the pond area and drained the water, in case Shalimar managed to get past the force-field.  
  
When Jesse had pointed out that a year old infant was highly unlikely to manage to get past a force-field, Adam had grimly told him that if it were humanly possible, Shalimar would manage it.  
  
Jesse and Emma were out running an errand for Adam, who was closeted in his lab and Brennan was stuck babysitting.  
  
There had not been a peep out of his tiny charge since their colleagues had left and that was making Brennan uneasy.  
  
Baby Shalimar sat next to him on the couch, playing with her toes - Brennan had given up on trying to get her to wear her shoes and socks - and smiling angelically at him whenever he glanced down at her.  
  
/She's plotting my doom, I know it!/  
  
* * *  
  
Lunchtime arrived with no sign of Jesse or Emma.  
  
/They've probably stopped off at the mall or something./ Brennan thought grumpily. /They know that I don't know how to feed a baby!/  
  
Gingerly picking up baby Shalimar and holding her a little bit away from him, Brennan ran with her to the kitchen.  
  
/Don't pee. Don't pee. Don't pee. Don't pee./  
  
Fortunately, they reached the kitchen without incident.  
  
Depositing Shalimar in her high chair and making sure that she was securely locked into it, Brennan opened the fridge, taking a quick inventory of the contents.  
  
"Mashed carrots and parsnips. Pureed broccoli. Blended potato and cabbage. Ew." Brennan made a face as he took out several jars containing gloop of various sickly orange and green shades. He looked over at baby Shalimar. "Do babies actually like this stuff?"  
  
"No."  
  
He couldn't stop himself from smiling. Despite her limited vocabulary, Shalimar had a knack for hitting on exactly the right thing to say. He found that he couldn't help warming to her.  
  
/I guess she is kind of cute./  
  
"You don't want to eat this stuff, do you, Shal? He asked her, smiling slightly.  
  
"No."  
  
he lifted her out of the high chair and carried her over to the fridge, letting her examine it's contents.  
  
"Okay, Shal, what do you want to eat?"  
  
Baby Shalimar seemed to give the question careful consideration before pointing to the chocolate ice cream in the freezer compartment.  
  
"Wan' dat!"  
  
"Uh, are you sure, Shal?" Brennan asked doubtfully, remembering what had happened when Emma had let Shalimar have sugar. He shuddered at the memory. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have something else?"  
  
"Wan' dat!" she was nothing if not stubborn.  
  
"Are you sure you wouldn't prefer some cereal?" He asked desperately. "Or look." He picked up one of Emma's strawberry yoghurts. "Look at the yummy yoghurt, Shal. It's much nicer than that nasty ice cream. You want the yoghurt, don't you?" he suggested coaxingly.  
  
Shalimar shook her head obstinately. "No! Wan' dat!" She smiled up at Brennan, giving him the all-powerful puppy - or, in her case, kitty - eyes. "Pwease, Nan."  
  
/Oh, come on, Shal, don't look at me like that!/ he pleaded silently. /I couldn't resist that look when you were an adult. I have no chance now!/  
  
"Pwease, Nan." Baby Shalimar repeated, plumping her lower lip in an adorable pout.  
  
/I can't win./  
  
"Okay, Shal." He sighed, putting her back in her high chair and tying a bib around her neck. He took a bowl out of the cupboard and put a scoop of ice cream in it and handed it to her with a spoon. "Here you go, Shal. Enjoy."  
  
"T'ank you, Nan." Shalimar grinned up at him before digging in.  
  
/If you have any pity at all for me, Shal, you will finish that before Adam sees what I'm feeding you. He will kill me if he finds out./  
  
Sighing, he filled a bottle with baby formula for Shalimar and made a sandwich and an expresso for himself.  
  
/I need it!/  
  
He pulled Shalimar's high chair over to the table so that he could keep an eye on her while he ate his own lunch.  
  
Within minutes, Shalimar had polished off her ice cream, mercifully getting very little of it on her clothes. Brennan took her empty bowl over to the sink to rinse it off, wetting a cloth to clean her up.  
  
"Yucky!"  
  
He turned at the sound of her voice and his heart sank.  
  
Baby Shalimar was holding his empty expresso cup, a dark brown stain around her mouth.  
  
"Shalimar, tell me that you did not just do what I think you did!" He pleaded.  
  
Shalimar just giggled.  
  
/Great!/ Brennan thought, trying to restrain Shalimar, who was making a determined effort to escape the confines of her high chair. /Baby plus sugar plus caffeine. This can't be good./  
  
* * *  
  
Adam's concentration was disrupted by high-pitched giggles and the sound of rapid movement.  
  
He stuck his head out of the lab to see Shalimar running across Sanctuary, falling every few steps before eventually giving up on the idea of walking and returning to the tried and true method of crawling.  
  
Brennan was chasing after her, calling her name, his irritation only serving to make baby Shalimar laugh harder.  
  
Taking pity on the younger man, Adam cut off Shalimar's path of escape, scooping her up in his arms.  
  
"Hi, Ad!" Shalimar squealed as he caught her.  
  
Brennan came up to them, slightly breathless. "Thanks, Adam."  
  
Adam tried to hide his amusement, putting on a stern look. "What did you give her, Brennan? She's as high as a kite!"  
  
Brennan turned slightly red and wouldn't meet his gaze. "Uh, she wanted ice cream for lunch, and she kind of helped herself to my expresso." He confessed, embarrassed.  
  
Adam frowned at Shalimar. "Were you making trouble for Brennan?" He asked her, mock-seriously.  
  
"Ess."  
  
"Adam, you don't happen to have a sedative of some kind, do you?" Brennan asked desperately.  
  
"You can't sedate a baby!" Adam was shocked at the idea.  
  
"It's not for her." Brennan told him grimly.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Seriously, Adam, you really have to hurry up with that cure. I'm not sure how much longer I can cope with her before I strangle her!"  
  
Adam sighed. "I've got the antidote to the serum finished." He told the younger man gravely. "It's ready when we are."  
  
"That's great!" Brennan cried enthusiastically, before looking at the downcast look on Adam's face.  
  
/Why does he look so unhappy about it?/  
  
TBC.  
  
Once again, I'm really, really sorry that it took so long for me to update. I'll hopefully get the next - and probably last - chapter up soon. Thanks for all the reviews. It's nice to know that someone likes it. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Sadly, Mutant X and its characters do not belong to me.  
  
Author's Note: I would like to thank all of my reviewers. This chapter is dedicated to them.  
  
Fiery Feral  
goldstranger  
lornein  
brigitta1  
Sunstar2  
lgbabyblu  
magnum-angel  
Raquelle2  
Katianna  
wox-77  
spikes-storm  
ChiBi BluEStaR  
shalimar2  
  
  
Thanks for all your encouragement, guys.  
  
Words in / / = Thoughts.  
  
*  
  
Chapter 8  
  
"What are you waiting for, Adam?" Brennan prodded gently. "Why don't you change her back?" his eyes narrowed. "There isn't any risk, is there?"  
  
Adam shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It's just. . ."  
  
"It's just what, Adam?" Brennan's impatience was beginning to show in his voice. He gestured towards baby Shalimar who was practically swinging out of Adam's lab coat. "I mean, you don't want her to stay like this forever, do you. . ." He trailed off, seeing the wistful look on the older man's face. "My God! You do, don't you? You want to keep Shal like this!"  
  
"Brennan, I. . . "  
  
"Have you lost your mind?" Brennan cut Adam off before he could say anything. "We can't keep Shalimar like this!"  
  
Hearing her name spoken, baby Shalimar looked up, grinning at Brennan and Adam.  
  
"Ad, pway!" She demanded, reaching for his ear.  
  
Adam smiled tenderly. "Not right now, sweetheart, in a little while."  
  
Shalimar frowned but seemed to accept his answer. She started to wriggle in his arms.  
  
"Down, Ad!"  
  
"Oh, no you don't." Adam tightened his hold on the squirming infant he held. "I think that Brennan gave you too much caffeine!"  
  
"I didn't give it to her!" Brennan protested. "She took it!"  
  
Adam ignored the younger man's protest, continuing to speak to Shalimar in a slightly sing-song tone. "I don't want you getting into mischief." Baby Shalimar gave him her best 'who, me?' look. Adam chuckled. "Yes, you." He walked over to her playpen and deposited her in it. "Be a good girl for me." He told her. "I'll be back to play with you in a few minutes, okay?"  
  
"Ess."  
  
Not taking his eyes off Shalimar - he remembered what had happened last time - Adam moved over to his desk and gestured for Brennan to follow him.  
  
There was a framed photograph hidden away in the corner of Adam's desk. Brennan picked it up and smiled slightly at the familiar young girl, no more than eleven or twelve years old, looking back at him.  
  
"Shalimar." It wasn't a question.  
  
Adam took the photograph from the elemental and put it into one of the drawers, sighing a little as he did. "I took this picture a few weeks after Shalimar came to live in Sanctuary. I was nearly as bad as Jesse when it came to taking pictures. During Shalimar's first year here I must have filled at least half a dozen photo albums. This is one of my favourites." He gave the other man a wry half smile. "I put most of the albums away as she got older. She doesn't know that I kept this one out. She would have been mortified if she knew."  
  
"She's not a little girl any more, Adam." Brennan said, before correcting himself. "Well, she is, but she shouldn't be. She should be an adult, a part of the team. Adam, Shal's probably our best fighter. We need her!"  
  
"How much has Shalimar told you about her life before she came here?" Adam posed the question quietly.  
  
Brennan was slightly taken aback. "Almost nothing. Why?"  
  
Adam sighed. "I won't break her confidence but suffice to say, her life was not easy. Even as an infant Shalimar showed signs of powers - as you have seen. As she grew, so did her powers. Her parents found it difficult to accept her as she was. . ." He trailed off, leaving Brennan silent at the thought of what his teammate must have been through. "Shalimar is now aging at the same rate as any other infant. This pathogen could be a blessing in disguise, a second chance."  
  
"Adam, you can't be serious!" Brennan exclaimed. "You want to raise her here?"  
  
A soft thud interrupted him and Shalimar, who had managed to climb out of her playpen a second time, crawled over to Adam, holding out her plump arms.  
  
"Up, Ad!" she commanded, squealing in delight as Adam swung her into his lap. She snuggled into his lap and smiled up at Brennan. "Hi, Nan!"  
  
Brennan could not stop himself smiling in return before continuing. "Look at her, Adam. She's only one and she already gets into more trouble than any child possibly could. How are we supposed to handle the terrible twos, terrible threes - God, Adam!" His face became pale as an unpleasant thought struck him. "How are we supposed to handle her when she's a teenager?"  
  
"We'll manage." Adam's voice was firm.  
  
"Adam, you can't be serious. . ." Brennan was cut off by the sounds of laughter. Jesse and Emma had returned.  
  
"Why don't you go and see how their mission went." It was more of a command than a request. "I need some time to think."  
  
Speechless, a rare occurrence for him, Brennan left the lab to tell his teammates about the latest catastrophe.  
  
* * *  
  
". . .And now, even though he's got the antidote ready, Adam is having second thoughts about using it." Brennan finished. "He wants to keep Shal as a baby."  
  
"Is he insane?" Jesse was incredulous. "I mean, she's cute and all, but we can't raise a kid here!"  
  
"I agree." Emma looked troubled. "Look at the stuff we deal with every day. It wouldn't be fair to expose a baby to that kind of danger. And if something were to happen to us, who would take care of Shal?"  
  
"Hey, Emma, couldn't you. . ."  
  
"No!" Emma cut off Brennan's suggestion before he could voice it. "I am not going to use my powers on Adam!"  
  
"But. . ."  
  
"For the last time, no! Adam would never forgive me!" Emma reflected silently for a moment. "Adam knows what the right thing to do is. He just needs a little convincing, that's all." She glared at Jesse and Brennan who were chanting 'Psi-blast! Psi-blast! Psi-blast!' under their breaths. "Not that kind of convincing!"  
  
She stood up and strode out of the room in the direction of the lab, her features set determinedly.  
  
Jesse sighed and rose, gathering his camcorder and the tapes he had made of baby Shalimar. "I'd better get to work."  
  
"What do you mean?" Brennan's face was a study in confusion.  
  
Jesse grinned roguishly. "I'm sending copies to all the safehouses while I still can." He explained, as though to a dim-witted toddler. "With Emma looking like that, Adam has no chance. We'll have our Shal back within the hour. I want these tapes gone by then."  
  
* * *  
  
The sugar/caffeine high had finally worn off and Adam had no trouble putting the now very sleepy baby Shalimar down for her afternoon nap.  
  
He had just tucked the covers around her and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead when Emma entered the room.  
  
"I suppose that Brennan has told you." He didn't look up at her.  
  
"Yes, he has." Emma kept her voice carefully neutral. "Congratulations. It can't have been easy to find that antidote."  
  
"That's not what I mean."  
  
"I know."  
  
Adam bent down, rescuing Shalimar's long-suffering teddy from the floor and tucking it under the covers with her. "She's happy like this, Emma. She's better off."  
  
"For how long?" Emma spoke gently. "How long do you think that we can keep her safe here? Even if Sanctuary's security was never breached, we couldn't keep Shal here forever. Remember what happened when Jesse took her to the park? What about when she was old enough to go to school? Would you keep her here, like a prisoner, for her whole childhood? Adam, that's not a life."  
  
"I know." Adam sighed. "I'll have to leave Mutant X. I'll take Shalimar and go abroad, maybe to Europe. I'll raise her there."  
  
Emma was momentarily stunned. She had not foreseen that. It took her a moment to find her voice. "Are you saying that you would abandon your work? I know how important that is to you."  
  
"It's not as important as Shalimar." Adam was resolved. "Once she and I are out of the country, I have friends who will set us up with new identities and more than enough money to keep us. Eckhart would never be able to find us. You, Jesse and Brennan would be more than welcome to join us."  
  
"And just abandon Mutant X?" Emma was indignant. "We couldn't do that and neither could you, even for Shalimar."  
  
His determined expression told her that he could. No words were needed.  
  
Emma took a deep breath to calm herself. "Adam, even if you could leave Mutant X behind and take Shalimar out of the country and guarantee her safety, you still don't have the right to make that decision. Only one person does."  
  
"Shalimar is in no position to make that decision." Adam pointed out, gesturing towards the peacefully sleeping infant.  
  
"ADAM JEROME KANE!" Emma was perilously close to losing her temper. "You know what I mean!" Baby Shalimar, troubled by the raised voice, whimpered in her sleep. Emma lowered her voice. "You have known Shalimar longer than any of us, since she was a child. If she was here, you know what she would decide."  
  
"Yes, but. . ."  
  
"Adam Kane, do not make me psi-blast you!"  
  
The threat shocked him. He had not credited Emma with being capable of such ferocity.  
  
"Shalimar would want to be an adult again." He acknowledged, sighing in defeat. "I don't have the right to go against that, whatever I may think." He stroked baby Shalimar's golden hair. "I will change her back."  
  
* * *  
  
Jesse and Brennan, who had been just outside, listening intently to the conversation, exchanged an impressed glance.  
  
"Wow!" Jesse exclaimed softly. "Remind me never to get on Emma's bad side."  
  
* * *  
  
A slightly groggy baby Shalimar, still clutching her teddy, was carried into the lab in Adam's arms and gently set down on the examination chair.  
  
He undressed her and covered her with a sheet before moving over to the bench where the vial containing the antidote was laid out.  
  
Emma covered Shalimar's eyes as Adam filled a syringe with the cure and injected her arm, wincing at her pained cry.  
  
The team stood back as the antidote took hold.  
  
The aging process lasted only a few seconds but it seemed to take longer. The baby's limbs stretched, her hair grew and her face lost its roundness, reforming into the features they remembered.  
  
"Hey, guys." The now adult Shalimar sounded slightly disorientated. "What's going on?" She looked down. "Why am I wearing a sheet?"  
  
Emma handed her friend the bundle of clothes that she had had the foresight to bring and she and the guys turned away as their teammate dressed.  
  
"You can turn around now." Shalimar was still very confused. "What happened to me?"  
  
"You don't remember?" Jesse looked positively gleeful.  
  
"No. What happened?"  
  
Emma giggled. "Shal, you've been a baby for the past two weeks!"  
  
"No, seriously, what happened?" Shalimar demanded. "Brennan? Adam?"  
  
"It's true, Shalimar." Adam told her gently. "You were infected with a pathogen during your last fight. It left you as a one-year-old baby. It took me a long time to develop the cure."  
  
Adam never lied to her. Shalimar looked around the lab, seeing the playpen in the corner, the frilly dress on Adam's desk and the teddy at her side.  
  
"You guys are serious, aren't you?"  
  
They nodded solemnly, rather amused by her horror.  
  
"Was I a brat?"  
  
"No, no, of course not!" Adam tried to reassure her.  
  
"You were evil in a little package." Brennan told her bluntly as Emma and Jesse nodded their agreement.  
  
"But you were really cute." Emma added, as if that could console her friend. "And you were good most of the time."  
  
"You owe me for dry cleaning." Brennan informed her.  
  
"Why?" Shalimar was confused.  
  
"You don't want to know." Emma told her hastily.  
  
Jesse, who had been very quiet for the past few minutes, sat down on the examination chair next to Shalimar, putting an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"It doesn't matter now." He told her. "You're back. That's all that counts." Butter wouldn't have melted in his mouth. "You've been through a lot." He patted her hand sympathetically. "I know what will make you feel better." He suggested, looking innocent. "There's a new movie that's proving very popular in the safehouses. I'm sure that you'll love it."  
  
He steered her out of the room before she could see the expression on Emma and Brennan's faces. They followed their teammates out of the room, leaving Adam alone.  
  
A minute later, Shalimar's indignant voice shattered the peace of Sanctuary.  
  
"JESSE KILMARTIN! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU BASTARD!"  
  
Sighing, Adam picked up the teddy that had fallen to the ground when Shalimar had left the lab. Opening his desk drawer, he put it in next to the photograph, feeling as though he could choke on his sorrow.  
  
/Goodbye, little one. I will miss you./  
  
*  
  
THE END. 


End file.
